Mayor Chris Beutler today said the awarding of a $1 million competitive grant to the City will keep Lincoln's air
clean and preserve and create jobs. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that is has awarded
the funds to the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD) for the Clean Diesel project. These funds were
made available through the America Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Funding will be used to purchase and install diesel
emission reduction equipment on 85 Public Works and Utilities vehicles, 105 Lincoln Public School buses, eight
Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) switchyard engines and seven NEBCO cement mixers.

"I want to commend the Health Department for aggressively pursuing these federal stimulus dollars, which will
benefit our community's health and environment and our local economy," said Mayor Beutler. "I am especially pleased
that the Health Department is working with partners outside of City government to make this a real community project.
The Clean Diesel project also fits perfectly with our Cleaner Greener Lincoln Initiative."

"Our air quality staff has field tested the equipment, and it has proven to significantly reduce diesel emissions of
particulate matter, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, toxic air pollutants and greenhouses gases," said Health Director
Bruce Dart. He said the project will reduce diesel emissions by an estimated 17,000 pounds per year and 206,000
pounds over the lifetime of the vehicles.

Dart said the health benefits of the project will include reduced asthma attacks and other respiratory ailments as
well as fewer lost school and work days. The BNSF locomotive switch engines involved in the project primarily operate
in two rail yards that are adjacent to lower income neighborhoods. Dart said these areas have higher percentages of
young children, older adults and racial and ethnic minorities, groups at the greatest risk from air pollution.

All vehicles and equipment are expected to remain in use for five to 15 years based on average life cycles and
available replacement funding and policies. Diesel oxidation catalysts have been in use for up to 20 years and have
proven to last for the life of the engine in many cases, especially if low sulfur fuel is used. Ultra low sulfur fuel
is the only fuel distributed by local retailers for trucks and buses.

The LLCHD, which has jurisdiction for all of Lancaster County, is responsible for issuing permits under Title V of
the Clean Air Act as well as minor and major source construction permits. The Department also performs comprehensive
emissions inventories, conducts source inspections and monitors ambient air quality.